Improvement in apparatus for distilling coal-oil



G. w. KIRCHHOFFER,

on Still.

Patented May 21, 1861.

Ulhampher. Washingmn. n. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

GEORGE w. xrnonn'orrnn, on CINCINNATI, onto.

IMPROVEMENT IN- APPARATUS FOR'DISTILLING COAL-OIL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patcnt'No. 32,373, dated May 21, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. KIROH- HGFFER, of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Distilling Coal and other Bituminous Substances 5 and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification. In order that others duly skilled may be enabled to understand and construct and use my invention, I shall proceed to describe it in detail.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section of the same. Like letters of reference designate like parts in all the drawings.

A is the furnace; B, the ash-pit. G is the space into which the heated air, smoke, 800., from the furnace are admitted, for the purpose of heating D, the retort. The smoke is discharged into the vent or flue by a convenient aperture. (Not shown in the drawings.) The retort D is in the form of an inverted cone, and terminates at the apexbelow ina pipe or tube, a, which dips into the pan or cistern F. The coverG of retort fits into the top with an airtight joint, I) b, and supports the hopper H, brackets I of the gear-wheels J and K, discharge-pipe L, and steam-pipe M. Inside the retort is a shallow frustum of a cone, N, forming a kind of mi-lleylinder and working slackly in retort, near the bottom. From this millcylinder N the hollow conical center 0 rises, and through all rises or passes the shaft- 1?, which, passing through a stuffing-box, c, in cover, has a bevel-wheel, J, keyed thereon, which wheel, working in -mesh with bevelwheel K on horizontal shaft, receives motion therefrom, and communicates the same to millcylinder N. The pulleys (1 cl (1 on horizontal shaft are for the purpose of receiving a belt from any source of power convenient.

e c are wings likewise attached to revolving device N and O in retort.

M is-a pipe for admitting steam superheated into the retort, to assist in the distillation. Q is a similar pipe: for admitting steam into retort from below, for the same purpose. The steam thus admitted escapes into the retort by perforations a: a; in conical center 0.

L is the pipe leading to condenser, and

through which the volatile products of the distillation, together with the steam, make their exit. The hopper H is constructed conical, with an air-tight cover, and valve 10, for admitting the coal orother bituminous substances. It is closed below by a valve, '12, which is kept shut by the weight X and steelyard y, by lifting up which weight the valve 1) is opened, and the coal (already warmed by the heat from the retort) is precipitated therein, and the valve again closed.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Coal being filled into the hopper H and the valve 1) closed, and the fire in furnace A being well lighted, the coal in the hopper becomes warmed. It is then precipitated into the retort, and the mill-cylinder Nand hollow conical center 0 (together forming the agitator) are set in rotary motion by means of the gearwheels J and K, as described. Steam superheated is let into the retort by pipes M and Q at the proper stage, to assist in the discharge of volatile matter, arising from the distillation.

Before charging the retort, however, the shal- 7 low pan F is filled with water, so as to seal the mouth of pipe a at apex of retort. Now,

as the heat from furnace distills the coal or other substances in the retort, the vapors fly off by discharge-pipe L into condenser. The mill apparatus inside of retort being kept continually in motion reduces the carbonaceous residue of the coal to a powder or dust, which, passing between the sides of mill-cylinder N and inside of retort, falls out at pipe a into pan F, from whence, at proper intervals, it is removed. Meanwhile as soon as the warmed coal has been discharged from hopper H fresh coal is filled therein, which, becoming in its turn warmed or heated, is at the proper time precipitated into the retort.

' The advantages of my invention are various. First, from the fact that the process of distillation herein described is continuous, the retorts are not subject to alternate heating and cooling, and consequently are not nearly so liable to crack and become destroyed; second, great economy in time, the discharge of the charred residue being continuous, no time is lost in discharging, and less labor is required to attend and work the apparatus; third, the amount of fuel required to distill a given quantity of coal or the like is much reduced; fourth, the pulverization of the coal assists in the liberation of the volatile products-of distillation, and the warming of the contents of hopper previous to their precipitation into retort is economical.

Having described my invention and the mode of its operation, I do not claim, broadly, agitating and pulverizing the contents of the retort during the process of distillation, as this has been accomplished by revolving the retort and causing the contents thereof to be broken and crushed to powder. My process consists in rotating the mass in the retort, or in revolving the retort while the mass remains stat1onary,bywhich means the mass of bitumin ous matter is caused to rub continuously against the heated surface of retort, thus reducing it to powder by abrasion, while at the same time the volatile matters are set free, and the exhausted carbonaceous residue is caused to escape continuously from the retort.

I claim 1. In combination with the upright conical retort D, the grinder N 0, when arranged to rotate in proximity with the heated surface of the retort, for the purpose of pulverizing the coal and securing the contact of the same in a minutely-divided state with the heated surface of retort, substantially as specified.

2. The arrangement of the upright retort D, grinder N O, and discharge-pipe a, for the purpose of permitting the pulverized and exhausted residuum to escape from the retort by its own gravity.

, GEORGE WV. KIRGHHOFFER. Vitnesses:

F. W. R. HOFFELD, Gno. 'PYBURN. 

